Christian Ziege admits mixed emotions over his one year at Liverpool.
Although Liverpool won a cup treble that season, Jamie Carragher got the nod at left-back for all three finals, despite going on to spend the bulk of his career at centre-back, with Ziege, a specialist in that position, only getting game time as an extra-time substitute in the League Cup final against second tier Birmingham City although he did find the net in the resultant penalty shoot-out victory.
Now head coach of Austrian third division side Pinzgau, Ziege, 48, told Planet Football: “On one hand, I can't regret this move because I played one season for Liverpool.
“What a club. In that season we qualified for the Champions League and won the League Cup, the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup.
“But, for me personally, it didn't work with (Gerard) Houllier. Playing-wise, I should have stayed at Middlesbrough for at least another season, or maybe longer.
“There was no relationship (with Houllier). I was training hard and I asked all the assistant coaches, and my team-mates, 'What am I doing wrong? What can I do better? Do I have to train more?'
“Everybody said, 'No, you're doing everything you should do and you're training well.'
“He never told me (why I wasn't playing). Maybe he doesn't have to – no problem – but I can't tell you what the reason was.
“There was no relationship between him as a manager and me as a player."
